The Consolidated Appeal for Burkina Faso 2012

The food security and nutrition crisis in the Sahel will affect an estimated 18 million people this year, and has put over 1 million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Burkina Faso is heavily affected by the crisis since the population is largely dependent on agriculture and livestock rearing as a source of livelihood, particularly in the Sahel region.

Sporadic rainfall and insufficient harvests in 2011, as well as high food prices, further deteriorated food security and nutrition in ten regions of the country. The situation has been compounded by the mass influx of refugees escaping the conflict from northern Mali. As of 26 April 2012, 56 817 Malian refugees have arrived in the country. By the end of 2012, an estimated 100 000 Malian refugees are likely to cross into Burkina Faso.

The Consolidated Appeal for Burkina Faso, officially launched on 21 May 2012 by Valerie Amos during her mission in Burkina Faso, requests a total of USD 126.1 million in order to contribute to the Government’s efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable communities, ensuring greater linkages with development programmes so as to build the resilience of the population in the medium to longer term.

FAO response

Within the framework of the Consolidated Appeal, FAO seeks USD 13 835 000 to restore livelihoods and reduce the vulnerability to malnutrition of farmers, pastoralists, agropastoralists, refugees and their host communities by rehabilitating the agriculture and livestock production capacities of vulnerable households. FAO’s emergency response activities aim to:

reduce vulnerability to malnutrition through the distribution of vegetablep and livestock inputs;